Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to door security devices and attachable locking assemblies. More specifically, the present invention pertains to a new and novel deadbolt security device for preventing unauthorized movement of the knob of a deadbolt latch from the interior side of a door.
Security of a residence is vitally important for most homeowners and apartment dwellers. The ability to protect against unauthorized access onto one's property allows the property dweller to feel safe while inhabiting the same or when leaving the residence unoccupied for periods of time. Proper security offers a sense of peace and a reduced level of anxiety with respect to fear of intruders or home invasions. Securing one's premises encompasses protecting one's personal property, protecting one's loved ones from danger, and further involves protecting the property dweller's privacy while in the residence, where all of these items can be compromised without suitable barriers to entry.
Security of a residence has many facets with respect to preventing unauthorized access by intruders or uninvited guests. These include physical barriers, such as secure windows and doors, as well as electronic security systems, such as open space motion sensors, increased lighting on the premises, entryway monitors, and secure electronic access. The present invention pertains to a new and novel means of bolstering existing physical barriers at an entryway, where typically a door knob and deadbolt is provided for locking an entryway door and from the inside of the residence.
Most entryway doors include a deadbolt assembly in combination with a door knob. The door knob can further be lockable, and provides the means of latching the door closed with minimal effort. The additional deadbolt assembly includes a post that is slidably engaged with the door frame, improving the security of the door and preventing the door from easily being pushed inward. However, most deadbolts include a turn knob on the interior side thereof. The turn knob provides a quick means of disengaging the deadbolt in case of an emergency, where a double-sided key lock would otherwise be unsafe in the event of a fire and may not be suitable given the building code. While offering a quick means to disengage the deadbolt, the turn knob is less secure than the alternatives, and is prone to being tampered with.
The present invention pertains to a deadbolt latch security member that is adapted to connect to the knob of the latch and secure the same to a door knob positioned therebelow. The device secures to the knob member and prevents rotation thereof, wherein rotation is countered by the device bearing against the door knob and resisting motion. Several embodiments are provided, including a means of monitoring motion of the device while engaged. Monitoring motion of the device can alert the dwelling occupants of a possible tampering situation, thereby providing an active warning system along with the increased physical security provided by the device. Overall, the device is intended to improve the physical security of dwellings at major entryways, wherein the device is attached from the inside of a knob-controlled deadbolt.
Description of the Prior Art
Devices have been disclosed in the prior art that relate to deadbolt security devices. These include devices that have been patented and published in patent application publications. The following is a list of devices deemed most relevant to the present disclosure, which are herein described for the purposes of highlighting and differentiating the unique aspects of the present invention, and further highlighting the drawbacks existing in the prior art.
Devices exist in the art that relate to deadbolt latch security devices, whereby a physical device is placed in connection with a deadbolt knob to prevent its rotation without authorization from one in the dwelling. These devices have familiar design elements for preventing rotation of the knob, whereby the knob rotation is prevented by abutting a member against the underlying door knob. These devices assist the deadbolt and prevent ready turning of the knob, even when a key is utilized from the exterior of the door. The present invention, however, discloses a new and novel deadbolt knob device that allows for superior fitment on existing knobs, superior security over the device while deployed, and superior adjustability of the device over existing devices in the art.
One such device in the art is U.S. Pat. No. 6,993,944 to Hicks, which discloses a dead bolt lock that is removably engageable onto a deadbolt knob and includes a pair of legs that extend downward therefrom to surround a door knob below the deadbolt. The device includes a housing for accepting the deadbolt knob therein, the housing includes an opening to accept a rotatable front plate therein. The front plate rotates with respect to the housing before being secured thereto, wherein the knob is secured by the front plate that is rotatably adjusted to match the angle of the knob. While disclosing a device with the same intent as the present invention, the device of Hicks discloses a different structure than that of the present invention, which contemplates adjustability using different means and a knob connection of diverging structure.
Another device is U.S. Pat. No. 4,279,137 to Cook, which discloses another such security device for preventing a deadbolt knob from turning, wherein a rigid, planar member is provided. The rigid member includes a vertical aperture for accepting the deadbolt knob therethrough, while a pair of spaced apart legs that straddle the shaft of the door knob below the deadbolt assembly. The Cook device, while simple and novel in its own right, fails to provide a means to adjust its connection with the deadbolt knob, thereby limiting its use to those deadbolts that have a vertical terminal orientation when in a locked position.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,035,128 to Ridgway discloses a device for preventing rotation of the deadbolt knob that comprises a V-shaped element having an interior angle adapted to receiving the deadbolt knob therein, along with a base element and an extension means. Similar to the Cook device, the Ridgway device utilizes a defined shape to secure over the deadbolt knob. While some means of adapting the device are provided, the Ridgway device is significantly divergent in structural elements from all embodiments of the present invention.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 3,585,827 to Dominguez discloses yet another security locking device, wherein a spring-biased knob retention member surrounds the knob of a deadbolt lock while a shaft abuts against a door knob shaft to prevent rotational movement of the knob. An adjustment means is provided to adjust the angle between the knob retention member and the shaft, while the shaft may be straight or slightly curved. Overall, the Dominguez device discloses a device for a similar purpose but with diverging structure with regard to the present invention.
The present invention is a new and novel deadbolt knob security device that prevents unauthorized turning of the knob and thus unauthorized retraction of the deadbolt latch. The device comprises several embodiments for securing the rotation of the deadbolt knob to a member that bears against the door knob adjacent to the deadbolt assembly. The embodiments provide structures that accommodate different door knob and deadbolt geometries and positions, while an electronic monitoring means is provided for detecting motion of the device while deployed. The motion energizes an audible alarm that alerts individuals within the dwelling that the device is being tampered with or that someone is attempting to turn the deadbolt knob.
It is submitted that the present invention is substantially divergent in design elements from the prior art, and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing deadbolt security devices. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.